A blockbuster deal at Wednesday's trade deadline was never really in the cards for the Devils and Thursday a team that believes it already has what it takes to win applauded general manager Lou Lamoriello's restraint.

With three rings, Brendan Shanahan knows about winning the Stanley Cup, and it doesn't always hinge on a deadline deal.

''It's an old expression, but it's true. I've heard some general managers after we won the Cup say, 'The best trades I made were the ones I didn't.' You never know until the last team is standing and all the ones that don't win will be second-guessed, regardless of whether they were very active or inactive," Shanahan said.

Colin White has won two Cups and he agreed.

''We just got Marty (Brodeur) back. That's our big blockbuster deal," White said. "We added another veteran (Monday) with Niclas Havelid, who has been a great defenseman in this league for eight or 10 years. And we made a move early on with Shanny coming here. Why would we have to make another trade?"

Perhaps that is why John Madden insisted he wasn't worried about being traded. The veteran center heard his name mentioned in rumors, primarily because he can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. But he said he felt no added stress.

''No. Why would I be? I couldn't control a trade so I just went about my daily business," Madden said. "If I'd gotten a phone call, I'd have answered it. I made a point a long time ago not to worry about things I can't control."

Lamoriello said there are three kinds of GMs this time of the year. There are buyers, sellers and tweakers. He considers himself a tweaker, and he made his moves before the rush.

''One can argue that Lou did make the moves. He just didn't wait until the day of competition," Shanahan said. "I think if you're making all of your personnel decisions at the trade deadline or on July 1 (the start of free agency), you're dealing with a lot of competition.

''I thought the Havelid pickup was a really good one. I've always thought he was a difficult player to play against. I can be seen as a trade-deadline guy a few weeks early and Havelid a few days early. To not do it on deadline day is just not sexy enough for TSN (in Canada)."

Havelid practiced with the entire team for the first time Thursday and was paired on defense with Bryce Salvador. That will be the pairing for Saturday's game against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

''He'll probably end up starting with Bryce. We'll fit him in there and see how he goes," coach Brent Sutter said. "He's going to fit in nicely."

That means Andy Greene will come out.

''That's part of the business," Greene said. "I don't have any control over their decisions. I just control the way I play. You've got to do everything in your power to stay focused and ready."

Sutter said Havelid shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to "definitely a different system" going
from the Thrashers to the more structured Devils.

''It's a pretty straightforward system," Havelid said after practice. "Nothing crazy about it."

There were fewer trades than in past years throughout the league as a whole. The Devils, of course, decided there was no reason to make a drastic change.

''That being said, whoever wins the Cup may have absolutely zero to do with the trade deadline," Shanahan said. "It might be decisions they made at the draft table six years ago. Or last July. Or the middle of the playoffs by calling a player up. There are way too many intangibles to point to one day specifically and necessarily know that was the day."